PLEASE HELP: Chicks Hatching Under Hen RIGHT NOW

[sowing.clover]

We have a very broody Buff Orpington who has been very vigilant in her mama duties. One egg hatched successfully yesterday on day 20. Another hatched successfully today on day 21. More will be hatching soon.

We just looked under mom and found a hatched baby stuck to mom (literally stuck with yellow yolk). We were afraid of the chick being hurt so we carefully unstuck the chick from me mom. At this point we found that some of the chicks insides were coming out from a hole in her leg, toward her belly - NOT her vent. We are quite sure that this is not her egg sac because we know what intestines look like.

We called up a chicken mentor who has many more years of experience than we do who said to separate this chick from mom and put her in a separate crate with heat on the chick. So we wrapped the chick in a towel surrounded by a heating pad and with a warm lamp over the chick. Another reason we separated this chick from the mom is because the other chicks were pecking at it.

My first question is: what would you suggest about the sickly chick? We know that there are intestines coming out and that this is not the egg sac.

My second question is: on day 17 or 18, the mother laid an egg. It was obviously not fertilized. When we went to check the chicks just now, it was broken open under the mama hen so we removed it. Do hens lay an egg to feed the chicks with? Should we have left this egg in the nest?



By this point, I am feeling very humbled by the whole experience, learning first and foremost that mama hen knows much more about hatching than I do. We have now sworn to not interfere at all until the mama feels confident enough to leave the nest on her own.

 

[kathyinmo]

No, the hen will not lay an egg to feed the chicks. That is very odd that the broody hen laid an egg on day 17-18. Are you sure it was her egg? I have never heard of this before.

The chick with the injury ..... well, that's your call. I don't keep chicks like that myself. I keep only the vigorous and healthy. Mama hen probably would have killed it.

Good luck to you!
Welcome to BYC!

 

[allieloveschickens]

Just keep it warm and maybe later try giving it some sugar water- I don't know if it will make it, but you never know- good luck!

 

[Judy]

If any other hens have access to the nest, then it is much more likely that wither the broody moved it into her nest or someone else got in the nest and laid it.

And I agree, sorry, I'm afraid the chick needs to be culled. Unfortunate, but part of chicken keeping. It's not going to survive if it has intestines on the outside.

I also love using broodies -- quite an experience. Enjoy your bunch!

 

[sowing.clover]

Thanks for the advice so far. There was no other hen that laid the egg because she is actually in the basement right now, away from the other hens and out of the freezing cold.

I'm glad that the egg she laid wasn't for the chicks to eat! It was making a mess in the nest.

We did finally cull that chick. She was distress peeping which made us sad, and making mama stressed out. The dead little chick is now in the garden, right next to the crocuses. We had a little ceremony for it.

I think all my questions have been answered but if anyone has any more advice, I'd take it!

Thanks! I can't wait until the others have hatched!